The Edge of Never
by E.V.A.Graebel
Summary: The crew of the Phaeton has embarked on a mission to Epsilon Eridani. But amid computer glitches and problems among the crew it seems like the mission may be doomed to fail unless they find out what's really going on. CHAPTER 1 REWRITTEN


**LAUNCH**

**1630 hours  
Crew Selection Process  
Final Selection**

The room is full of bodies. The only spaces are those around the corners of couches and the personal space of Dr. Johnson's prickly personality. He doesn't have to be present but he's there among them anyway. He stands out amid the mostly younger, type A personalities. When eyes pass over him they wonder if he already knows the results of the selection process. He and Dr. Jules Braun are the only two who have been assigned to the crew early, a requirement considering they designed the Phaeton.

Handheld screens flicker to life with the words: **Stand-by** printed in plain white letters.

As one the room inhales and holds their breath.

Names began to scroll across the screen. Frank Pike. Roger Fallon. Rika Goddard. And with every additional name the sense of expectation dropped inside of the room. Odds, they're all playing the odds, as the one hundred and fifty other selection candidates realize their chances are shrinking, then diminishing, then are gone entirely.

Jimmy Johnson's eyes rise up to watch the room and whether or not he notices the woman at the very back of the crowd is unlikely. She had the list before anyone else in the room. Knew their names and their dossiers front and back.

Although he scans the room, his gaze does not catch on her. Her disguise is almost too complete. As a brunette her complexion appears sallow and slightly other-worldly as she didn't bother to dye her eyebrows. The unsettling combination makes her the kind of woman that eyes slide past, when she adds in hunched shoulders and a quietness that shrieks of shyness, no one notices, no one pays attention.

Her handheld has a different set of instructions on it and she nods as she sees the words traipse across the screen.

The mood has changed in the room. Everyone is trying to remain congratulatory and happy, but there are only twelve slated to go and the rest to stay behind. She watches them for a moment and does not know whether she should envy them or not.

* * *

**Edge of Never – Final Crew Recap**

The narrator of the TV show picks up her script with a grin. This is the episode where they start to pick up those watchers who never caught an earlier episode. The build-up was for a certain type of viewer, and now, lift-off and exploration, will bring in those ready for the long haul. Characters they will treat like family.

Her cultured British accent isn't real, but no one watching will notice. All they need to know is that she's their guide on this journey.

"Welcome," she begins. "To tonight's episode of Edge of Never. The crew has been selected and launch is only 24 hours away. We'll remind you of those valiant crew members who were chosen through a two-year process to be the first astronauts to reach another planet. If you've missed the action up until now, tonight is the night that changes everything. Tonight you meet the crew of the Phaeton and begin the journey with them because tomorrow morning they leave for Epsilon Eridani and take us with them."

* * *

**Interview Cam #47  
Subject: Bille Kashmiri  
Specialization: Computer scientist**

Billie fidgets as the team focuses on her. She has dressed exactly for this interview and it is as professional as she can get without looking like she's stolen her mother's suit. Her smooth blond hair is pulled to the side and every corporate logo is displayed so that it can be seen at every camera angle.

{Transcript}

Dr. Voorhees: Ms. Kashmiri, you're the youngest applicant to the Phaeton crew. What problems do you anticipate on the voyage?

Billie: I thought the range of ages was to allow a more balanced crew. I understand that I might be younger than everyone else, but I'm the best computer specialist you have. If you're going to take the best, then, (…appears to lose momentum for a moment). I'm not saying that it won't be daunting sometimes. But we're going on a long-term space voyage. I don't think I'll be the only person dealing with that strangeness and age won't have anything to do with it.

Dr. Ganguin: You seem very confident in today's interview.

Billie: Really? (The doctors smile at the break in her presentation.)

* * *

**Interview Cam #6  
Subject: Frank Pike  
Specialization: Commander, Pilot second class**

A new set of psychologists sit across from a relaxed man with close cropped brown hair and narrowed blue eyes. He smiles at them in a conversational fashion and adjusts the jumper that he wears, today all Phaeton team members, all fifty finalists, are wearing SilicaTech logos.

{Transcript}

Dr. Stryzowski: You feel confident that you could make a rational decision between go and no-go? Without letting your personal decisions influence the outcome?

Pike: I can't promise that but I think the decision is going to be determined by what's going on out there. If we have a chance of making it, then why would we turn around? There's more disappointment in coming back to Earth and having failed for no reason than running on the edge and trying.

Dr. Jager: And if you have a chance of reaching Eridani but would lose crew along the way?

Pike: Space is inherently dangerous, Doctor. I won't needlessly expend my crew, but I don't think a single applicant to this program expects that our journey will be entirely risk free. I don't. I'm just as capable of dying as anyone else on board.

Dr. Jager: Do you fear that?

Pike: I don't think I'm afraid of death. I think people get the two mixed up. Death is natural. We're all afraid of dying.

* * *

**Interview Cam #12  
Subject: Jimmy Johnson  
Specialization: Nuclear physicist/Engineer**

{Transcript}

Jimmy: Get out of my face. I have calibration tests to run.

Dr. Geminoff: But Dr. Johnson, in order to clear you for flight…

Jimmy: Oh, you're going to keep me behind? And who the hell is going to fly the ship then?

Dr. Geminoff: Sue Parsons is the pilot along with Dr. Braun.

Jimmy: My ship. My engines. She doesn't fly anywhere without me. You want to know what your stupid tests say. [Flings a handscreen across the room.] That I'm an antagonistic bastard. Now get out of my goddamn way.

Dr. Geminoff: There's no reason to make this trip harder on yourself than it needs to be.

[Dr. Johnson walks out of the room.]

Transcript note – _Subject is not responding well to limitations imposed by Phaeton psychologists. Recommend alteration_.

* * *

**0938 hrs – Day of Launch  
Phaeton bridge**

Frank swiveled around to look at the bridge crew. Jules, Sue, and Jimmy are plugged in and evaluating the Phaeton's readiness. It felt momentous. He swiveled back to look at his own readouts which read green across the board.

"All compartments sound off."

"Forward berthing green." Kenji's voice came through the headset.

"Belly of the whale is green." Val's voice came through the headset. "Although I wish we had the window view."

"Always the joker," Frank said under his breath. "Wonder why they thought we needed one of those on board."

Jimmy covered the mouthpiece of his com even though the overhead camera would pick it up anyway. "You thought they had a one asshole quota on this tin can?"

"Obviously not." Sue shot back. "Horizon Station, release docking clamps on my mark. 3..2..1..mark. Beginning manuvering thrust to exit station orbit. On…mark. We are free of all umbilicals and restrictions. Commander, its your call."

The ship rumbled slightly beneath them as Sue brought the engines to life and began the initial burn to remove them from the vicinity of Horizon Station and the Earth. The blue and white orb fell behind them but not a single eye was watching it. They were all looking forward. Black space punctuated with white stars as though it went on forever. They wouldn't be going forever, just further than any human had ever traveled.

"We're go for booster fire."

"Boosters firing now."

Phaeton throbbed as the engines came up to full power and she was pushed into deeper space. First only meters per second but those increased, quadrupled, and then grew at an exponential rate as the power increased. Frank could hear the others calling back and forth to each other as the Phaeton surged into space but he didn't hear any of it. They were underway in the greatest moment that the human race had ever seen. Everything else was just white noise.

* * *

**0938 hours - Day of Launch  
Phaeton Bridge**

The hallways and rooms of the Phaeton were quiet and still. At that singular moment, it was like there was no one else alive at all. Yet the engines throbbed and came to life and the ship pushed away from the docking clamps of Horizon Station with a deceptive lack of force.

Sarah was strapped into the single seat in the flight cabin. The others were stowed back against the walls. She wouldn't change the configuration until they reached Epsilon Eridani. Until then, ten years of until then, she would wander the hallways alone.

"Your heart rate is elevated, Sarah."

"This is a big deal, Jean." She glanced up at the disembodied circle that generated the voice. "It just seems weird to not be in control."

"I am perfectly capable of running the ship. You have nothing to worry about."

"That's not the point."

"I realize that, Dr. Hutchins, but the health and welfare of the sleepers is all that matters. Your entire focus must be on their safe arrival."

Sarah nodded and leaned back against the seat back as the pressure increased again. The Phaeton maintained its spin despite the acceleration and she was grateful for the sensation of motion. But despite it all, her position was requisite for one reason and one reason alone. Jean, as an Artificial Intelligence, could run almost everything on board the Phaeton, but she could not fix the minor issues that would develop over the ten years of travel. That was Sarah's job along with guarding the hypersleep caskets in the central module. It was a logistics problem. There was no way to carry enough food and water for a ten year trip, not for that many adults. They could carry enough for one. Especially for an astronaut who was prepared to deal with the long silences and empty hallways.

"Sarah?" Jean asked quietly.

"Are you well?"

Sarah didn't answer, despite all the preparation and conditioning, she'd never felt so alone.


End file.
